Remote control units have gained widespread popularity for use in remotely controlling home entertainment systems, which typically include devices such as televisions, cable set-top boxes or converters, videocassette recorders (VCR), digital video disk (DVD) players/recorders and stereos. Typically each device includes a separate remote control unit, which is provided by the manufacturer of the device, for remotely controlling the specific device. This causes the home entertainment system user to have many remote control units. This is very cumbersome and may lead to confusion for the user.
In order to eliminate the need for multiple remote control units, universal remote control units have been developed. The universal remote control unit has a plurality of operating modes for controlling a plurality of devices. Each operating mode enables the user to remotely control a corresponding device. Typically, the universal remote control unit includes a plurality of mode push buttons (e.g., CABLE, TV, and VCR push buttons) which correspond to the different devices to be controlled. The mode push buttons are used to directly change the operating mode of a corresponding device. In order for the universal remote control unit to operate each of the different devices, the remote control unit must be programmed to send a signal which is recognized only by the selected device, to obtain an appropriate response from the device.
Typically, universal remote control units include a memory which stores signal formatting data of different manufacturers which identify the signal structure to which specific manufacturer and model number devices are responsive. These signal formatting data commonly vary based on the device which is to be controlled. Programming the universal remote control unit involves identifying signal formatting data that is stored in the memory which the device to be controlled is responsive.
Traditional methods for programming a universal remote control unit which have the afore-mentioned signal formatting data previously stored in memory involve selecting a specific category (e.g., television, cable set-top box or converter, video device or audio device) with which the remote control unit is to be programmed to operate, and then identifying the signal formatting data which is to be associated with the selected category. U.S. Pat. No. 5,872,562 (McConnell et al) teach one such programming method. In McConnell et al the user first activates an entry initiate key and then selects a key signifying a particular category of device to be controlled. Thereafter, the user enters a code indicative of an address in the memory which stores the specific signal formatting data. This data is read out and applied to a microprocessor which, in turn, controls the transmission of signals which are formatted to operate the selected device. The method is repeated for each device which is to be controlled by the remote control unit.
While U.S. Pat. No. 5,872,562 is a usable method, there is a desire to develop simplified programming methods for universal remote control units which do not require the user to select a device category during programming.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,344,817 (Verzulli) describes a method for displaying manufacturer/model codes programmed into a universal remote control unit. While Verzulli makes no mention of selecting a device category in a universal remote control unit, if the Verzulli method was applied to such a remote control, some way of associating a device category key with a particular signal format must be provided. While this is not the subject matter claimed by Verzulli, one skilled in the art would understand that this is done using known methods, such as for example, in a manner similar to that described in McConnell et al., e.g., by, in the programming process, first pressing a key to select a category.